Wax sweating plant



July H, 1933. H. L. ALLAN 1,918,009

WAX SWEATING PLANT vFiled July 25, 1930 4 sheets-sheet 1 HMT 9 24 n FIGA- l 1Q S' 2W Engin@ E .mfmmmmmmmm mnmnhnm:533mm July 11, 1933.a H. l.. ALLAN 1,918,009

'WAX swEATING PLANT Filed July 25', 195o 4 sheets-sheet 2 FISE July 11, 1933. H. L. ALLAN WAX SWEATING 'PLANT Filed July 25, 193.0 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jly l1, 1933. H, L, ALLAN wAx swEATING PLANT Filed July 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Julyll, 1933 UNITED- STATES PAT-ENT s VOFFICE HUGH LOGIE ALLAN, OF sYRIAM, BURMAH, BRITISH INDIA, AssIGNon cro` THE BUnIvIAn OIL COMPANY LIMITED,- OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, A vzionioItAuuoN oF GREAT BRITAIN WAX SWEATING PLANT YApplication mea Juiy A25, i930, serial No. 470,639, and in Great Britain october a, 192e.

This invention relates to apparatus for the heat treatment of wax and wax mixtures, comprising a vessel having means for charging the same with wax or wax mixture, which is supported within the vessel without the use of water as a wax support, means being provided for withdrawing successive portionsof the mixture during the heat treatnient, and means being also provided for uniformly heating or cooling 'the wax throughout the vessel.

Such apparatus is disclosed in the speciiications of United States Patents Nos. 1,50%,923 and 1,743,746, thelatter pat-ent disclosing the'use of a series of transverse pipe coils through which a heating or cooling fluidY is circulated, said pipe coils being spaced closely throughout the wax mass under treatment. g A

According to the present invention, in apparatus for the heat treatment of wax orfWax mixture, comprising` a wax containing vessel or chamber having means for supporting the wax or wax mixture therein without the use of water as a wax support, a multiplicity of transverse or horizontal pipes is arranged in superposed transverse rows in said vessel or chamber, said pipes being straight throughout or for the greater part of their 3 length, and the pipes of each row are staggered in relation to the pipes of the subj acentV and/or superjacent row of pipes. l

The present invention contemplates the provision lof a deep closed vessel oflarge capacity having its external walls insulated or lagged to enablegthe vessel to be used .in the open for the heat treatment of wax or wax mixture, instead of being enclosed in a specially heated building as has been heretofore proposed. y

The staggering of the pipes closely spaced throughout tlie Vmass of waxvunder treatment, not only leads to improved heat transrow may be `connected"tog-ether 'at Valternate y ends to form a pipe of sinuous or serpentine forinwhich is horizontally or substantially ference, but provides amore etiicient support horizontally or transversely disposed, and be connected at their ends t0 inlet and outlet chambers common to the whole! of the superposed rows of pipes-or' common to a group of superposed rowsof-pipes.

The present invention also cont-emplates the employment of a large' rectangular covered or closed vessel having a reticulated supportnear the bottom thereof for lsupporting the wax without the use of water as a wax support, the vessel being equipped with a multiplicity of pipes arranged in superposed staggered rows ashereinbefore described. A v

If thewax containing vessel is completely closed, itv lnay be equippedI with means for controlling the admission'and egress of Aair at will and with'nieans for supercharging the' vessel or chamber with wax or Vv'vax'mixture to compensate vfor the shrinkage of the Original chargewhich occurs during coolmg.

Wax or 'wax mixture may consist of asingle vessel or chamber of large capacity, preferably covered Oi closed, either for use within a heated building or for use in the open. Alternatively the apparatus `mayvloe of the known type comprising a closed upright vessel having partitions dividing it into a plurality of superposed wax containing compartments ink which the wax is supported without the use of water asa wax support,

i and the present invention therefore further The apparatusfor the heat treatment ofv sov In order thatV the invention may be more Y clearly understood, reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings .which illustrate one' construction of apparatus according to the invention. v

Fig. l is a vertical sectional elevation through part of the apparatus.`

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation at right angles to Fig. 1 and on the line 3--3 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a part sectional elevation on theA toni 8 of which is dished or cambered downward at the centre towards a central channel.

9 for the collection of liquefiedwax or oil. The bottom 8 consists of steel plates stiftened by means of corrugations-Sa (Fig. 4). Supported on the corrugations 8a or by other suitable means, just above the bottom plate, is a` false bottom 10 of reticulated metal, metallic gauze or the like, forming a support `[or the mass of wax or wax mixture during the heat treatment. Above the false bottom 10 and disposed at a uniformyertical pitch of about two inches up to the top of the vessel arcserpentine pipesV 11, preferably of mildV steel, composed in the main of Vstraight lengths connected by short bends 12,

each serpentine being substantially fiat and horizontal. The sinuous pipe or serpentine 11 preferably extends completely across the vessel, being connected at one end toan inlet oroutlet header 13 and at the other end toasimila'r header (not shown) for the circulating fluid.

-The serpentines 11 are slightly cambered downward at the centre in such a manner as to become equivalentto Uf tubes, thereby ensuring complete expulsion otair. Alllserpentine pipesare of similar design and have adjacent straight portions parallel and of substantially uniform horizontal. pitch equal to aboutfour inches, but re-r garded in the plan view (Fig.Y 2) adjacent serpentines are staggered approximately half of the said pitch in order that the assembly of pipes may provide support for the wax mass during heat-treatment.'

Connected to the drain or run-off channel 9 provided at the centre of the bottom plate 8 of the vessel 7 and extending vertically upwards to, a level slightly below the top ot the vessel is a duct 14 preferably of rectangular form which serves the purposesfot` supporting and stiffeiiing the bottom platel 8, introducing the charge of liquefied wax or wax mixture for treatment, and leading away the wax or oil after treatment.

The top cover 15 of the apparatus contains a central opening forming an inlet 16 to which is connected the charging pipe 17 for supplying the charge of wax or wax mixture to be treated, and the cover 15 carries also relief valves or other means 18 (Fig. 4)v

supplied to the duct 14 entersthe surrounding vessel, and through Vwhich the oil or wax discharges from the vessel during lthe sweating operation, the bottom plate 8. being preferably flanged downwards at the centre and there welded to the duct 14. i Y

Pipes or passages 20 (Fig. 3) are arranged within the duct14 for circulation of heating fluid ior the purpose of maintaining thewax or oil in the duct 14 in the liquid state when required. Ank overflow opening 21 (Fig. 3) is leftv between the upper end of this duct and the top ofthe stove whereby additional liquefied wax orwax mixture, introduced into the apparatus during or iminrdiately after the cooling phase to'compensate for the shrinkage of the original charge which occurs during cooling, may

overiiow `intot the surrounding vessel, thisl introduction of ladditional mixture being l-:nown as supcrcharging.

The steam pipes 2() (Fig. 3) within the duct 14 are provided for melting outthc portion of solidified charge in the duct 14 before the sweating operation is commenced and are top Voi" the chamber Vand within an elongated charging funnel 23 supplying the charge to the duct 14, the other end of the pipes 20`being connected to a "central steam pipe 24 provid ed in the run-down channel 9 :for melting the solidified'wax in the channel before sweating.

A pipe 25 (Figs. 2 and 6) is provided yforl injecting steam or other heating iluid through a jet pipe 26 into the space between the bottom 8 of the vesseland the false bottom 10 and into the space :above the false bottom, to facilitate melting` out of the residual wax after heat-treatment. An air pipe 27 (Figs. 2 and 5) Yis also provided forallowing the air tofescape from the vessel during illing, beingprovided with abranch pipe 28 which .opens into the vessel near the top thereof.; f

Aieentral steainpipef29 (Figs. 2 and 6) extends through the steam pipe 25 for freeing the pipe of solidified wax which maybe run o'i'i through a drain pipe connectedV to the bottom of the steam pipe 25. A similar centralsteam pipe (Figs. 2 and 5)extends` y diately below the division or diaphragmscribed, and apparatus of large capacity may be formed of two or more such vessels super- K' imposed. As shown, apparatus of large capacity may take the formof a singlecontainer or vessel of rectangular form subdivided into compartments thirty inches or more in depth, each vessel being substantially of the Y construction described, and divided into compartments by means of a division or dial phragmplate 31 provided with Ycorrugations 32 similarrto the bottom plates 8 for support; ing a false bottom 33 of reticulated metal or the like. The plate 31 is provided at :its outer edges with upturned flanges for Con-V necting the edges to the outside plates of the vessel and the plate 31 is supported atv its centre by means otiianges welded to the duct 14. The duct 14 is made in sections which discharge into a flared elongated funnel 34 formed at the top of the duct section immeffv plate 31 dividing` the vessel intol wax come! ment below the division plate 31 when superpartments.V An overflow opening 35 is left between the top of the flared funnel 34 and the underside of the division or diaphragm plate 31 for supercharging the wax compartcharging as hereinbefore described. s

By the use of pipes straight throughout or for the greater part of their length air'may be expelled during passage of the` Huid, whereby internal corrosion of the piping is reduced to a minimum. The apparatusis particularly adapted :tor installing in .the open without enclosure'or protection by special building, but if preferred it may be in stalled inside a building offany known type or construction. v

'It' installed in the'open itsextern'al walls areinsulated to retain the heat. The i'nsula# tion is shown at 6v in Fig. 1 but has been omitted from Figs. 3-6. l'

I claim:

v Apparatus orthe-heat treatment of wax.

or wax mixture comprising a coveredvessel, transverse partitionsdlviding said vessel into ysuperposed compartments, wax supports vabove the bottom of said vessel and above each partition, a. multiplicity of heating or cooling-duid circulating pipesV above each wax` support, aseriesof superposed hollow vertical cells, one foreach compartment, a

drain passage along the underside of the botf tom of said vessel and communicatinglwith the bottom fof the lowermost cell, an elongated funnelV formed at the upper end of each cell, thelower end of each upper cellv V discharging into the funnel of its subjacent Cell, a charging duct extending through the cover of the vessel and opening into theuppermost cell, openings in each cell' below the wax supports, an overiiow openingin each compartment at Athe upper end of each cell,

and tubular heating elements vertically disposed within saidcells.

HUGH Loein ALLAN.

x rv125 

